BANANA SPLIT PIE

Banana Split Pie is an easy no-bake banana dessert made with a graham cracker pie crust full of cream cheese, bananas, whipped cream, pineapple, chocolate syrup and cherries. A refreshing banana split dessert that is easy to make and serve!

Nothing says summer like banana splits, and this version will not disappoint! This banana split pie only takes a few minutes to prepare and will stay ready in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before serving so you can prepare it in advance – something you can’t do with the ice cream version! You can also customize this dessert and add nuts and/or any other toppings you’d like – my kids had a lot of fun helping me make this fun and easy treat!

What ingredients are in a banana split?

Banana splits are traditionally made with ice cream that is served between two halves of a banana. The ice cream is then topped with chocolate sauce, caramel, whipped cream, nuts and cherries. The pie version of a banana split swaps out the ice cream with a cream cheese/powdered sugar layer but has many of the same ingredients. The result is a banana split dessert that has all of the flavors of the classic version without needing to be frozen!

The best part of making banana splits is the versatility! You like butterscotch topping? Add it on! Do you love nuts? Marshmallows? Caramel? Add whatever you want! It’s all yummy!

Does banana split pie have eggs in it?

This banana split pie recipe does not have eggs in it! Many of them do, which is why I was so excited to find this version! I’m not super squeamish when it comes to raw eggs…at least not while eating cookie dough, but I just never liked the idea of putting them in a no-bake pie. This recipe is delicious and no eggs are needed!

Is banana split pie made with pudding?

Banana split pie can be made with or without pudding. The original version just called for powdered sugar to be mixed with the cream cheese for the bottom layer, but I’ve experimented by swapping half of the powdered sugar with instant banana pudding mix and I love that version too! The banana pudding adds a much stronger banana flavor to the dessert and also creates a thicker custard type filling for the pie.

If you are like me and you love real bananas, but not banana flavored things, you can use vanilla pudding instead. This will give you the custard like filling without the extra banana flavor. If you are a huge chocolate fan, you could even use chocolate pudding and it would taste delicious too! So many options!

How to make Banana Split Pie

Use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese and powdered sugar (or powdered sugar and banana pudding mix) until smooth. If you want extra banana flavor and a slightly thicker consistency, use the pudding mix. Using just powdered sugar works well too -either way, it is delicious!

Spread the cream cheese layer on top of the crust. Slice bananas and place on the cream cheese layer. Top the bananas with the crushed pineapple.

Spread Cool Whip on top of the pineapple and top with maraschino cherries and chocolate syrup. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Instructions

Use an electric mixer to blend cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Spread on top of the crust.

Slice bananas and place on the cream cheese layer. Top the bananas with the crushed pineapple. Spread Cool Whip on top of the pineapple and top with maraschino cherries and chocolate syrup. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes

*For a stronger banana flavor, you can swap the 2 cups of powdered sugar with 1 cup of powdered sugar, plus 1 small box of instant banana cream pudding mix.

Can banana split pie be made in advance?

Unlike a traditional banana split, this pie can be made up to 24 hours before serving. The bananas will start to brown and get mushy if you make the pie too early, so the closer to serving that you can make it, the better. Leftovers can also be stored in the refrigerator, but plan to eat them pretty quickly as well!

Does banana split pie have Cool Whip in it?

The top layer of the pie is made with Cool Whip – a non-dairy whipped topping. If you can’t find Cool Whip where you live or you prefer not to use it in recipes, you can use stabilized whipped cream instead. If you just use regular whipped cream, the consistency will be too light and the cream will not hold up very well. It’s very simple to make your own stabilized whipped cream and it just takes a few minutes!

How do you make stabilized whipped cream?

To make stabilized whipped cream, you will need the following ingredients:

4 ounces of cream cheese (softened to room temperature)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup heavy whipping cream.

Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla until soft and smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream just until soft peaks form.

Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

A little tip for making whipped cream faster. Use a metal bowl for whipping the cream and place the bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you make the whipped cream. This will significantly decrease the amount of time that you will need to beat the whipped cream – the process will go much faster!

The recipe I had called for eggs. Sometimes it would set other times too thin. I and my family love this recipe. I changed the regular cream cheese for pineapple cream cheese. Everyone loves it!! Thank you.